The Penguin (Burgess Meredith) | Batman Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia The Penguin (Burgess Meredith) The Waddling Master of Foul Play Maestro of Criminal Umbrellas The Black Bird of Prey P.N. Gwynne K.G. Bird, umbrella factory owner Knott. A. Fish ―The Penguin [src] The Penguin was an arch-nemesis of Batman . As one of Batman's greatest enemies (besides The Joker), he is known for his love of birds and his specialized high-tech umbrellas. One of Gotham City's top criminals, Penguin almost always tries to cover up his criminal activities with some other false enterprise. He often pretends to be going straight, and usually wins the hearts of all Gothamites before revealing his true motives. He also loves discrediting Batman and Robin. But Batman always wins out because he doesn't concern himself with popular opinion, his dedication to solving the crime at hand allows him to cut right to the heart of Penguin's schemes. Penguin also fancies himself to be quite the ladies' man. He carries himself with an aristocratic air, and is always formally attired.

A cigarette is always on hand, and since he is one of refined tastes, Penguin uses a cigarette holder. In one of the 1966 episodes when Penguin thought he was rich (before being outfoxed by Batman) he tried to buy a unnamed country but declined to do so-because he is allergic to Zodka! In another classic Batman episode Penguin claims that he once was a actor. (In the comedy series he is always refered to as Penguin but not by his real name of Oswald Cobblepot). In the state Prison his jail cell is P.G.1 along with Joker, Riddler, Catwoman, King Tut and Egghead in the exclusive Supervillians section! At times a genius of crime-he once tricked Batman into unknowningly planning crimes for him and Brainwashed Alfred Pennyworth into working for him-he has a working knowledge of electronics that when he and Joker tried to take over the Batcave, both Criminals were x-rayed with a Bat beam that noted their physical bone structure.

He also suffers from a short term memory loss-he failed to recognize Bruce Wayne (thinking he was a umbrella factory spy!) and had trouble recognizing Alfred Pennyworth twice -once when Alfred portrayed a forger and another time when Alfred took the place of a minister (although Penguin had brainwashed Alfred!) Contents Burgess Meredith as the Penguin. The purple top hat and bow tie are departures from the black top hat and black bow tie of the comics. The Penguin uses his many umbrellas as a weapon. In the 1966 Batman movie, the Penguin teams up with Batman's other three greatest foes: The Joker , the Riddler , and Catwoman . Kidnapping Commodore Schmidlapp , the Penguin lures Batman into a trap, in the form of an exploding shark. This ultimately fails, but then the Riddler devises a combination trap, with the Penguin's role involving an exploding octopus. Their plan fails, because the millionaire they kidnapped (to make Batman come to the rescue) was Bruce Wayne, and instead one of the villains' henchmen falls victim to the exploding octopus (triggered by the Joker's jack in the box). Penguin in his lair.

With five of their henchmen (guinea pigs) dehydrated and turned to dust, the Penguin disguises himself at Commodore Schmidlapp and gets Batman and Robin to take him into the Batcave (thus making the Riddler the only one of the four to never enter the Batcave) where he sets the guinea pigs on Batman and Robin, however he accidentally rehydrates them with heavy water instead of light water, thus they vanish at the slightest impact. After they exit the Batcave, he uses the Penguin Gas umbrella on them and steals the Batmobile (but they are unaffected due to taking a special pill). Eventually, Batman and Robin fight all the villains in the ultimate showdown at the submarine. Near the end, Batman fights the Penguin and hits him with the telescope, knocking him into the water and defeating him. He is captured along with the rest of the criminals when Robin chains them to the side of the submarine and Batman calls the coast guard. In the 1960s series Penguin once claimed to have been an actor. He was also one of six arch-criminals freed from prison by Dr.

Cassandra Spellcraft to form her new invisible gang, but this brief cameo appearance was by a stand-in. The only voice made by the Penguin was his bird-like laughter. Weapons and Equipment Edit Penguin utilizing a trick umbrella. Umbrellas: Penguin's most commonly used weapons that he always carries with him. There are many different types with many different features. Mostly used for spraying sleeping gas on victims. Some umbrellas had cutting tools on the end, while others are like a shotgun and spray smoke and sparks to distract pursuants. Pengymobile: a golf cart topped with a large umbrella, used for getting around his expansive movie studio. Pengytruck: a blue half truck with Penguin picture on the door! Exploding umbrella: a special item with a timed explosive hidden in the handle. Itching powder: a strong, long-lasting version. Jet Pack Umbrellas: Special jet powered umbrellas that can soar through the air like broomsticks. Toy Penguin: Used when wound up by an unsuspecting person, it sprays poisonous gas through its beak. Carrier Pigeons: Used for discreet communication with his henchmen. Automatic Anti-bugging Machine: can detect a bug being placed anywhere in the building.

Penguin Line: his answer to the Bat-rope. It has a large grappling hook on one end, that can be fired great distances by a small cannon. Penguin Magnet: It is super-powerful, and strong enough to attract small metal objects from across a hotel suite. Penguin Box: Used to brainwash victims into working for him, with no memory of it whatsoever. Known Associates Edit Just as Batman and Robin do not go at crime-fighting alone, The Penguin needs fellow partners in crime to assist him with his malicious schemes. Hawkeye, Sparrow and Swoop (portrayed by Lewis Charles, Walter Burke, and Charlie Picerni): Simple henchmen. Presumably, they also helped to run Penguin's umbrella factory. They helped Penguin in a plot to cause umbrella-based havoc and kidnap movie star Dawn Robbins. Dove and Eagle-Eye (portrayed by Al Checco and Harvey Lemback) - Simple henchmen who assisted Penguin in running a protection agency. Octopus, Shark and Swordfish (portrayed by Victor Lundin, Dal Jenkins, and Louie Elias) - Penguin's henchmen.

Octopus was going to take his share of the money they stole from charity to the South Seas and open a school for pirates. Henchmen - (portrayed by Jon Waltier, Bill Hickman) Penguin's henchmen when he kidnapped Babara Gordon. Finella (portrayed by Julie Gregg) - Penguin promised this disillusioned beauty she would win a bathing suit contest. In fact, she doesn't win, not fairly anyway. They kidnap Miss Natural Resources (the real winner of the charity beauty contest) and Finella takes her place. After the crime is done, her conscience causes her resolve to wilt and she helps Batman and Robin bring Penguin to justice. Later that day, she is invited to Wayne Manor for the charity banquet and is given a fur coat in thanks for helping the Dynamic Duo. She is looking forward to leading a normal life once she has gone to prison and paid her debt to society. Lulu (portrayed by Cindy Malone): Lulu and her two friends were three of Penguin's biggest supporters during the mayoral election, even though Lulu wasn't old enough to vote. During the final confrontation between the Caped Crusaders and Penguin, Lulu made a run for it. Her current whereabouts are unknown.

G.O.O.N: Short for Grand Order of Occidental Nighthawks, it is a phony organization who pretended to be supporters of Batman's campaign as he ran for mayor of Gotham against Penguin. These men were in fact Penguin's henchmen. Cordy Blue and Matey Dee (portrayed by Lane Bradford, and Vito Scotti): Penguin's henchmen when he opened The Penguin's Nest restaurant. They were inmates on parole. Cordy Blue was the chief hash-slinger in the State Penn. Matey Dee was Warden Crichton's personal valet while in prison. Chickadee (portrayed by Grace Gaynor): Penguin's female assistant, hat chick, and cigarette girl. She was in prison for selling bootleg ciggeretts Barney F Baxter, aka Ballpoint (portrayed by Stanley Ralph Ross): A Master of Forgery who was in custody at Gotham State Penitentiary. He was to transfer the signatures of Gotham millionaires Penguin had obtained at his restaurant to blank checks. He was given parole and sent to teach penmanship at one of the Wayne Camps for Underprivileged Children when Penguin was sent back to the slammer to prevent the two from fraternizing.

Bruce Wayne commented Ballpoint should enjoy a life on the straight-and-narrow. Joker : Penguin teamed up with the Joker to assist him with his Zodiac Crimewave. He was captured and had to escape in a Prison Laundry truck. After hiding in the Batmobile's trunk, they found the Batcave but were defeated by the Dynamic Duo. Although they worked together, they had a great tendency to insult and argue with each other. Venus (portrayed by Terry Moore) - An unrelenting Ex Female assistant to Joker and Penguin during his Zodiac Crimewave. She wanted to do good, but was easily distracted by expensive gifts of perfume and champagne. But whenever she helped Joker, she almost immediately felt bad about it. After talking with Batman a few times, she was won over by his charm and betrayed the Joker, but it wasn't that easy. She was thrown into a pool with a giant man-eating clam, but Batman rescued her. It is not known what ultimately became of her, though Commissioner Gordon did say that the courts would take her change of heart into consideration. Mercury (portrayed by Hal Baylor) - Joker's and Penguin henchman during his Zodiac crimewave.

Mars (portrayed by Joe Di Reda) - Joker's and Penguin henchman during his Zodiac crimewave. Jupiter - Joker's and Penguin henchman during his Zodiac crimewave Saturn (portrayed by Eddie Saenz) - Joker's and Penguin henchman during his Zodiac crimewave. Uranus (portrayed by Charlie Picerni) - Joker's and Penguin henchman during his Zodiac crimewave. Neptune (portrayed by Dick Crockett) - Joker's and Penguin henchman during his Zodiac crimewave. Marsha, Queen of Diamonds : Penguin enlisted Marsha because he needed a large amount of capital to keep his movie studio front operating. Lola Lasagne : An old friend of Penguin's, he teamed up with her to try and get some money from a horse-racing scam. Visor and Armband (portrayed by Joe Brooks and Lewis Charles): Simple henchmen who assisted Penguin and Lola Lasagne in a horse-racing scam. Miss Clean (portrayed by Monique van Vooren): A greedy woman who is always asking Penguin for diamonds or houses.

Pushbroom and Dustbag (portrayed by Newell Oestreich and Charles Dierkop): Simple henchmen who assisted Penguin in a plot to infect the money with Lygerian Sleeping Sickness. B.J., Cardinal, Ostrich, and Owl - Penguin's henchmen who helped him during the itinerary crime plans after his jailbreak. C.A. Nary - Penguin's female assistant who helped him during the itinerary crime plans after his jailbreak. Appearances Edit The Penguin was played by Burgess Meredith in the Batman television series of the 1960s and the spin-off movie. A largely campy interpretation because the series was essentially a situation comedy, Meredith's performance is perhaps best remembered through his signature laugh, meant to mimic the squawk of a penguin. One cause of the laugh was the smoke from the cigarettes the character always smoked, which irritated Meredith's throat and made him cough, as he had already quit smoking in real life. The Penguin's thugs wear black bowler hats, with dark clothing adorned with names of various animals of prey; these are either birds ("Hawk") or fish ("Shark").

Burgess Meredith, as the Penguin made a brief cameo appearance in the 1968 episode of The Monkees entitled "The Monkees Blow Their Minds". On Late Night With Conan O'Brien, Dick Cheney is often played in fake TV movies by Meredith's Penguin. Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, also frequently uses Meredith's Penguin laugh to imitate Cheney.In the show the character was a popular favourite and a recurring villain that returned to menace the caped crusaders with his array of trick umbrellas and a sinister bird laugh. His two hench-men were Hawkeye and Sparrow.

Gallery Burgess Meredith - Biography - IMDb Burgess Meredith Biography Showing all 44 items Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (4) | Trade Mark (1) | Trivia (26) | Personal Quotes (7) Overview (5) 5' 5½" (1.66 m) Mini Bio (1) One of the truly great and gifted performers of the century who often suffered lesser roles, Burgess Meredith was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1907 and educated in Amherst College in Massachusetts before joining Eva Le Gallienne's stage company in New York City in 1933. He became a favorite of dramatist Maxwell Anderson , premiering on film in the playwright's Winterset (1936). Meredith served in the United States Army Air Corps in World War II, reaching the rank of captain. He continued in a variety of dramatic and comedic roles until being named an unfriendly witness by the House Un-American Activities Committee in the early 1950s, whereupon studio work disappeared.

His career picked up again, especially with television roles, in the 1960s, although younger audiences know him best for either the Rocky (1976) or Grumpy Old Men (1993) films. Meredith also did a large amount of commercial work, serving as the voice for Skippy Peanut Butter and United Air Lines, among others. He was also an ardent environmentalist who believed pollution one of the greatest tragedies of the time, and an opponent of the Vietnam War. Burgess Meredith died at age 89 of Alzheimer's disease and melanoma in his home in Malibu, California on September 9, 1997. - IMDb Mini Biography By: <anthony-adam@tamu.edu> Spouse (4) Former son-in-law of Antoinette Perry . Was placed on the "Red Channel" list of the HUAC. Otto Preminger was instrumental in restoring his film career. His character, the Penguin, was so popular as a villain on the television series Batman (1966), the producers always had a Penguin script ready in case Meredith wanted to appear as a guest star.

Had two children (with fourth wife Kaja Sundsten): Jonathon Meredith (musician) and Tala Meredith (painter). On the television series Batman (1966), he developed his grunting Penguin laugh out of necessity. Meredith had given up smoking some twenty-odd years earlier, but his character was required to smoke with a cigarette holder. The smoke would get caught in his throat and he would start coughing. Rather than constantly ruin takes in this matter, he developed the laugh to cover it up. "Actually, it was a pretty funny noise for a penguin to make," said Meredith. "I sounded more like a duck." Needless to say, Meredith gave up smoking again immediately after the series ended. Suffered from melanoma and other ailments, including Alzheimer's disease, at the time of his death. Was only seventeen years older than Jack Lemmon when he played his father in Grumpy Old Men (1993). In 1960, he received a special Tony Award, along with James Thurber , for "A Thurber Carnival". He was also nominated for a 1974 Tony Award as best director (dramatic) for Ulysses in "Nighttown".

Was the second choice for the role of the Penguin on Batman (1966). Producers had originally wanted Spencer Tracy in the role, but Tracy would not sign unless his character was allowed to kill Batman. Obviously, they did not want to kill the main character, so the role went to Meredith. Biography in: "American National Biography". Supplement 1, pp. 406-407. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. He was fascinated by the subject of non-human intelligence, particularly dolphins. He once believed that a dolphin somehow called to him for help in the middle of the night while he was staying at a friend's home on the beach. He ran out and found the dolphin, caught in a net under a dock down the beach, although there was no way he should have been able to know it was there. He released it, saving its life. He believed it had made some sort of connection with him, perhaps telepathic, to call for help. Was offered the role of the Penguin's father in Batman Returns (1992) (which eventually went to Paul Reubens ), but could not film it because of his delicate health.

Once narrated a Gaelic Christmas Carol in English for The Chieftains on their CD "The Bells of Dublin". Relied on cue cards during the filming of Grumpier Old Men (1995), contributed from being in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Despite his character dying in Rocky III (1982), he has appeared in every Rocky film, as either the real character, a flashback, or through archive footage. Nephew of comedian and character actor, Jay "Handsome Danny Mann" Burgess (1856-1937). After dropping out of Amherst College, Meredith held down various jobs in journalism, retail, as a clerk, and as an editor. He also had a brief spell in the merchant marine and as a runner on Wall Street. His father was a doctor, and his mother a Methodist revivalist. Loved to cook and was a noted connoisseur of fine wine and good cuisine. Served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II and held the rank of captain by 1945. His father, William George Meredith, was Canadian (born in Toronto, Ontario). His mother, Ida Beth (Burgess), was from Ohio.

Was friends with French avant-garde composer Edgard Varese (1883-1965) who wrote "Dance for Burgess" for him in 1949. He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6904 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on November 5, 1987. A Visual Guide to All 37 Villains in the 'Batman' TV Series | Mental Floss A Visual Guide to All 37 Villains in the 'Batman' TV Series Here they all are with a little extra Bam! Pow! Zap! for good measure. 1. THE RIDDLER (FRANK GORSHIN) SEASON 1 (EPISODES 1, 2, 11, 12, 23, 24, 31, 32), SEASON 3 (EPISODE 2) The quintessential (and first) Batman villain to star in the ’66 series, Frank Gorshin would end up playing The Riddler in all of the character’s appearances in the series except for a two episode span during season two when John Astin stepped into the green tights. 2.

THE RIDDLER (JOHN ASTIN) SEASON 2 (EPISODES 45, 46) Perhaps best known for playing Gomez Addams in ABC’s 1964 TV series The Addams Family, John Astin donned The Riddler’s costume for a short two-episode arc during Batman’s second season. 3. THE PENGUIN (BURGESS MEREDITH) SEASON 1 (EPISODES 3, 4, 21, 22, 33, 34), SEASON 2 (EPISODES 17, 18, 27, 28, 37, 38, 39, 42, 43, 44), SEASON 3 (EPISODES 1, 4, 5, 20) Burgess Meredith’s portrayal of The Penguin may be the most iconic (at least in appearance) of the entire series. With his purple top hat, monocle, and long cigarette, Meredith’s Penguin would appear in more Batman episodes (20) than any other villain. 4.

THE JOKER (CESAR ROMERO) SEASON 1 (EPISODES 5, 6, 15, 16, 25, 26), SEASON 2 (EPISODES 21, 22, 37, 38, 39, 47, 48, 57, 58), SEASON 3 (EPISODES 10, 16, 17, 24) Second only to Burgess Meredith as The Penguin, Cesar Romero appears in Batman as The Joker in 19 episodes in total. Known for his bright green hair, stark white makeup, and wide smile, Romero’s Joker would become one of the show’s most memorable villains. The actor famously refused to shave his signature mustache and you can see it under the white face paint particularly well on the high-definition transfers included on this Blu-ray box set. 5. MR. FREEZE (GEORGE SANDERS) SEASON 1 (EPISODES 7, 8) Appearing as Mr. Freeze for only two episodes during the show’s first season, George Sander’s Mr.

Freeze is quite low tech compared to the getups that Otto Preminger and Eli Wallach would wear during season two. When he does eventually don his signature suit, Sanders looks more like an astronaut than a villain with super freezy powers. 6. MR. FREEZE (OTTO PREMINGER) SEASON 2 (EPISODES 19, 20) Legendary, groundbreaking director Otto Preminger (Laura) took over the role of Mr. Freeze for two episodes during Batman’s second season and gives perhaps the most bizarre (and cool) performance of the three actors that would play the character. 7. MR. FREEZE (ELI WALLACH) SEASON 2 (EPISODES 59, 60) Eli Wallach (who passed away in June 2014 at the age of 98) played the frigid villain for the final two episodes of season two. His Mr. Freeze, who discovers an instant ice formula, is easily the most mustache-twirlingly and villainous of the three versions. It is also likely to be the most memorable. 8.

ZELDA THE GREAT (ANNE BAXTER) SEASON 1 (EPISODES 9, 10) The great Anne Baxter (All About Eve, The Razor’s Edge, The Ten Commandments) plays Zelda the Great in a two-episode arc that includes the kidnapping of poor Aunt Harriet. This isn’t, however, the last time fans would see Baxter on the series... 9. MAD HATTER (DAVID WAYNE) SEASON 1 (EPISODES 13, 14), SEASON 2 (EPISODES 35, 36) Screen and stage veteran David Wayne plays The Mad Hatter in four episodes spread over two seasons of Batman. The villain, obsessed with getting his hands on Batman’s cowl, conceals a Super Instant Mesmerizer in one of his many hats in an attempt to get the job done. The Dynamic Duo, of course, has other plans. 10.

FALSE FACE (MALACHI THRONE) SEASON 1 (EPISODES 17, 18) Malachi Throne was a staple of geek TV throughout his career: He made appearances in Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Lost in Space, The Six Million Dollar Man, Babylon 5, and many more nerd-centric shows. We don’t even really get to see his recognizable face in Batman, however, as he plays a villain named False Face, who looks different nearly every time we see him. 11. CATWOMAN (JULIE NEWMAR) SEASON 1 (EPISODES 19, 20), SEASON 2 (EPISODES 3, 4, 10, 29, 30, 33, 34, 40, 41, 49, 50) Appearing in 13 Batman episodes over the show’s first two seasons, Julie Newmar’s Catwoman tussles with The Dynamic Duo more than any other female villain in the series.

Not only did her appearance on the show make her the object of many a young man's affections, but it also helped establish the general look of the character on screen for years to come. 12. CATWOMAN (EARTHA KITT) SEASON 3 (EPISODES 14, 16, 17) Julie Newmar left some mighty big paws to fill when she didn’t return to the role of Catwoman for Batman’s third season. But, if you’re going to try to fill them, you might as well do it with a legend like Eartha Kitt. The singer, actress, and all-around dynamo donned the cat suit and purred her way into the hearts of Batman fans everywhere. I don’t know about you, but we can’t help but think of Catwoman every time we hear “Santa Baby” (which Kitt famously recorded) come on the radio during the holiday season. Lee Meriwether played Catwoman in the 1966 movie . 13.

KING TUT (VICTOR BUONO) SEASON 1 (EPISODES 27, 28), SEASON 2 (7, 8, 53, 54), SEASON 3 (6, 23) Ever the performer, Victor Buono’s over-the-top performance as Batman original villain King Tut earned him appearances in eight separate episodes over the show’s three seasons. The actor reportedly loved playing the character because it allowed him the opportunity to overact, one of the aspects of the character that makes King Tut so beloved (and if there’s ever a place to overact, the Batman series seems like a great place to do it). 14. BOOKWORM (RODDY MCDOWALL) SEASON 1 (EPISODES 29, 30) Between film, TV, and theater, Planet of the Apes star Roddy McDowall’s resume is a mile long—so it should come as no surprise that he was able to sneak in two episodes as an original villain named Bookworm on Batman. Committing crimes inspired by literary works, Bookworm was created for the show, but would later come to figure in the Batman comic books as well.

15. THE ARCHER (ART CARNEY) SEASON 2 (EPISODES 1, 2) Once you realize that The Honeymooners veteran Art Carney is playing Batman villain The Archer in the first two episodes of the show’s second season, you should immediately know that the character is mostly going to be played for laughs. Based on the classic Robin Hood character, The Archer does his own brand of robbing the rich to feed the poor along with two henchmen (and one henchwoman) cleverly named Maid Marilyn, Big John, and Crier Tuck. 16. MINSTREL (VAN JOHNSON) SEASON 2 (EPISODES 5,6) Minstrel only appears in two season-two Batman episodes, but he’s a tough one to forget because Van Johnson’s performance is so mesmerizing. The villain is about as milquetoast as one gets—he abhors violence and sings songs about the crimes he’s committed (or is about to commit)—but it’s still hard to get Minstrel out of your head. 17.

MA PARKER (SHELLEY WINTERS) SEASON 2 (EPISODES 9, 10) Season two villain Ma Parker is all about Shelley Winters' hilariously evil performance. Full of bravado and a pun a minute, the character is a simple country mother who has an affinity for powerful guns. Along with her three sons Pretty Boy Parker, Machine Gun Parker, and Mad Dog Parker, and one daughter named Legs Parker (that Ma really can’t stand), they give The Dynamic Duo a run for their money. 18. CLOCK KING (WALTER SLEZAK) SEASON 2 (EPISODES 11, 12) Tony Award-winning actor Walter Slezak suits up as Clock King for two season-two episodes of Batman using an antique clock to loot a jewelry store before Batman and Robin are on his tail. Though Clock King actually has pretty deep roots in the DC Comics universe, this version is a wonder all its own with Slezak’s trademark expressions and villainy leading the way. Oh, and one really big hourglass. 19.

EGGHEAD (VINCENT PRICE) SEASON 2 (EPISODES 13, 14), SEASON 3 (EPISODES 8, 9, 15) It’s hard not to love Vincent Price’s hilariously campy portrayal of Egghead during five episodes in Batman’s run. With his signature white and yellow suit and enormous bald head, Price overacts to perfection as the extremely intelligent, eggcentric (get it?) villain. The character has a lair decked out with bacon and egg drawings on the wall and tosses laughing and tear gas eggs at his foes. Egghead is, quite possibly, the most lovable of all Batman villains. 20. CHANDELL (LIBERACE) SEASON 2 (EPISODES 15, 16) For two episodes, the piano virtuoso plays both Chandell (the piano player) and his twin brother Harry (who, it turns out, is the real villain here), and the results are a lot of fun. If only we could have seen Liberace play more villains throughout his career, TV would have been a far more interesting place. 21.

MARSHA, QUEEN OF DIAMONDS (CAROLYN JONES) SEASON 2 (EPISODES 23, 24, 42, 43, 44) Here’s a bit of cool trivia for you: Carolyn Jones, who plays the diamond-loving villainess Marsha, Queen of Diamonds in five season-two Batman episodes, also played Morticia Addams in ABC’s The Addams Family. We already told you about John Astin’s connection to that series, but there’s also a brief appearance by Ted Cassidy (who played Lurch in that show) during one of Batman’s iconic Batclimbs. How’s that for synergy! 22. SHAME (CLIFF ROBERTSON) SEASON 2 (EPISODES 25, 26), SEASON 3 (EPISODES 21, 22) Clearly a spoof of the classic 1953 Western movie character Shane (from the movie of the same name), Cliff Robertson’s villain Shame appears in four Batman episodes with two different posses.

In the first, he’s joined by Okie Annie (Joan Staley)—an obvious riff on Annie Oakley—and, in the second, he’s got Calamity Jan (Dina Merrill) by his side. 23. PUZZLER (MAURICE EVANS) SEASON 2 (EPISODES 31, 32) Not to be confused with The Riddler, Maurice Evans as Puzzler also likes to keep Batman and Robin confused with his clever puzzles, word games, and tricks. He’s often seen reciting Shakespeare and has a thing for aviation. According to Wikia , Puzzler’s appearance only came about because Frank Gorshin no longer wanted to play The Riddler during season two, so the show slotted Puzzler into these two episodes instead. Of course, John Astin would play The Riddler later in season two and Gorshin would return to the green tights in season three. 24.

SANDMAN (MICHAEL RENNIE) SEASON 2 (EPISODES 33, 34) Portrayed by veteran actor Michael Rennie, Sandman’s two-episode appearance during Batman’s second season is often overshadowed by the fact that he’s working alongside the beautiful Julie Newmar as Catwoman. But fans should give the shifty Dr. Somnambular his due—the guy does have sleep powers after all! 25. COLONEL GUMM (ROGER C. CARMEL) SEASON 2 (EPISODES 51, 52) Roger C. Carmel’s performance as Colonel Gumm is mostly remembered for the villain’s penchant for wearing pink, being surround by pink, and being obsessed with stamps. The real memorable thing about Colonel Gumm’s two-episode arc, however, is the fact that the episodes feature crossover appearances by Green Hornet (Van Williams) and Kato (Bruce Lee). 26.

BLACK WIDOW (TALLULAH BANKHEAD) SEASON 2 (EPISODES 55, 56) The most tragic thing about the great Tallulah Bankhead’s fantastic performance as season two villainess Black Widow in Batman is the fact that this would be her final on-screen role. Decked out in her signature black and red outfits, the character is unforgettable, whether it’s stealing from a bank or hanging out in her stunning spider-themed lair. 27. SIREN (JOAN COLLINS) SEASON 3 (EPISODES 2, 3) Siren, played by Joan Collins, begins her entrance into the world of Batman as a bit of a sidekick in The Riddler’s devious plan to take over Gotham City’s boxing game. By her second episode, however, the singing Siren makes a plan to uncover Batman’s true identity all by herself. Memorable for her beauty, luxurious outfits, and her ability to mesmerize men with her high-octave tunes, Siren makes an indelible mark on the series in the span of only two episodes. 28.

LOLA LASAGNE (ETHEL MERMAN) SEASON 3 (EPISODES 4, 5) Despite the charming and talented Ethel Merman’s performance, Lola Lasagne is one of Batman’s least interesting and memorable villains. For one, her weapon of choice is the parasol. Secondly, she mostly plays in the shadows of one of the show’s most memorable villains, The Penguin. If it weren’t for Ethel Merman, we might not remember Lola at all. 29. LOUIE THE LILAC (MILTON BERLE) SEASON 3 (EPISODES 7, 18) Louie the Lilac, on the other hand, makes a huge mark on Batman by being such a bright, colorful character (with such a recognizable face behind it) that two episodes are more than enough to make fans remember him. There’s a whole lot of Milton Berle himself in Louie’s demeanor, even down to the actor’s signature cigar, which is part of what makes the character (created specifically for the show) work. Louie the Lilac also went on to appear in five episodes of the animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold. 30.

OLGA, QUEEN OF THE COSSACKS (ANNE BAXTER) SEASON 3 (EPISODES 8, 15) Remember how we told you that Zelda the Great would not be the last you’d see of Anne Baxter in Batman? That’s because she’s the show’s only guest villain to ever return to play a different villain on the show later. This time around, she portrays Egghead’s main squeeze Olga, Queen of the Cossacks. The showy villainess mostly sits back while Egghead and his henchmen take care of business, but she’s a memorable character nonetheless. 31. LORD MARMADUKE FFOGG (RUDY VALLEE) SEASON 3 (EPISODES 11, 12, 13) The coolest thing about Lord Marmaduke Ffogg (who appears in three episodes as the co-villain alongside his sister Lady Penelope Peasoup) is easily his Pipe of Fog. All the venerable lord has to do is light that thing up and the room starts filling with a white, puffy smoke—perfect to conceal his getaway.

Played by Rudy Vallee, the villain also wore a special cast on his foot to make people think he had the gout and was, therefore, incapable of pulling off his crimes. Clever man. 32. LADY PENELOPE PEASOUP (GLYNIS JOHNS) SEASON 3 (EPISODES 11, 12, 13) Though Lord Marmaduke Ffogg appears to be the main villain in this three-episode arc, his sister Lady Penelope Peasoup actually comes across as more interesting and charismatic. Despite being relegated to mostly taking charge of the female criminals in their charge, Lady Penelope (played by Glynis Johns) makes her mark on the series. 33. NORA CLAVICLE (BARBARA RUSH) SEASON 3 (EPISODE 19) It’s almost a shame that someone as talented as Barbara Rush (It Came from Outer Space) was saddled with another of Batman’s least memorable villains.

In her one appearance on the show, Nora Clavicle uses her wits and charm to convince Mayor Linseed to give her the Commissioner job, which is all part of a devious plan to destroy Gotham City and collect on an insurance claim. How does she plan to do it, though? With mechanical mice. Since she replaced the police force with housewives, they’re all afraid of mice. Pretty sexist, right? Ahh, those crazy 1960s. 34. CALAMITY JAN (DINA MERRILL) SEASON 3 (EPISODES 21, 22) It’s a shame that Batman doesn’t really let Dina Merrill’s Calamity Jan be much more than arm candy for their western spoof villain Shame, but at least the actress does the best she can with the material she’s got. Calamity Jan comes across as adorable and silly, but just smart enough to probably be able to ditch Shame and bring Batman and Robin to their knees. Sadly, we’ll never know if that’s true since she’s mostly playing second fiddle to Cliff Roberston’s Shame. 35. DR.

CASSANDRA SPELLCRAFT (IDA LUPINO) SEASON 3 (EPISODE 25) Ida Lupino helped pave the way for female directors of our time, so it should come as no surprise that she’s very much the leading power in the villainous duo that headlines Batman’s penultimate episode. Dr. Cassandra Spellcraft comes from a long line of female alchemists, but she’s determined to be the only successful one. So she uses her power to bring down the Bat. Or tries, at least. She’s a bright, colorful character in many ways, but the way she puts her silly husband Cabala in his place is the very best thing about her. 36. CABALA (HOWARD DUFF) SEASON 3 (EPISODE 25) After a few episodes that feature female villains mostly relegated to storylines dominated by male power (Nora Clavicle and Calamity Jan), it’s great to see one where the man completely and utterly does anything he can to make his wife happy, right? Played by Howard Duff, Cabala is less a villain and more a sidekick to Dr. Cassandra Spellcraft.

He’ll do anything to please her, calls her “Doccy Baby,” and can often be caught checking himself out in the mirror rather than plotting villainous schemes. 37. MINERVA (ZSA ZSA GABOR) SEASON 3 (EPISODE 26) Batman’s final villain is also one of its most glamorous. Played by Zsa Zsa Gabor, Minerva opens a health spa in Gotham City and uses her Deepest Secret Extractor to run amok. She’s pulling off robberies left and right, and even Alfred gets involved going undercover to help The Dynamic Duo. What makes Minerva so memorable, however, is the star power of Gabor. Sure, she’s mostly just saying “Darlings…” a lot, but her appearance as the platinum-dressed villainess will likely never be forgotten. Burgess Meredith - TV.com Burgess Meredith EDIT A veteran of stage and film whose numerous accomplishments in dramatic roles will, alas, probably be forever overshadowed by his portrayal of "The Penguin" on the 1960s TV series "Batman" (and the 1966 theatrical feature of the same name).

After toiling in many odd jobs during the 1920s,… more Credits S 2: Ep 31 G.I.

Joe: The Movie 1/1/87 S 1: Ep 22 An Uncredited Woman 4/10/83 S 1: Ep 21 Class Struggle 4/3/83 S 1: Ep 20 It Almost Happend One Night 3/13/83 S 1: Ep 19 Coming Apart 2/27/83 S 1: Ep 18 Death Row Dog 2/20/83 S 1: Ep 1 The Blind Hunter 9/7/74 S 1: Ep 23 The Packagers 4/11/73 S 1: Ep 22 Suffer My Child 3/28/73 S 1: Ep 21 Ends of the Earth 3/21/73 S 1: Ep 20 Moment of Madness 3/14/73 S 1: Ep 19 The Mattson Papers 2/28/73 S 2: Ep 30 Once a Clown 4/27/65 S 2: Ep 29 And Then I Wrote 

4/20/65 S 2: Ep 28 The Firebrand 4/13/65 S 2: Ep 26 The Student Who Never Was 3/30/65 S 2: Ep 29 The Obsolete Man 6/2/61 S 2: Ep 19 Mr.

Dingle, the Strong 3/3/61 S 3: Ep 4 And Freedom Sings 11/11/60 S 9: Ep 2 A Madman Is Loose 8/31/60 S 9: Ep 24 With Intent To Kill 9/14/59 S 9: Ep 13 Servant Of The People 2/3/59 S 9: Ep 1 A Child Is Born 8/12/58 S 9: Ep 3 The Bridge 5/23/58 S 1: Ep 8 Time Enough at Last 11/20/59 S 2: Ep 7 The Human Comedy 3/28/59 S 3: Ep 20 Penguin's Clean Sweep 1/25/68 S 3: Ep 4 The Sport of Penguins (1) 10/5/67 S 3: Ep 1 Enter Batgirl, Exit Penguin 9/14/67 S 2: Ep 44 Penguin's Disastrous End 2/2/67 S 7: Ep 

3 Hatton's Turn (2) 9/18/93 S 1: Ep 3 Episode 2 5/9/92 S 1: Ep 93 May 19, 1989 5/19/89 S 3: Ep 4 Thumbelina 6/11/84 S 3: Ep 116 February 20, 1984 2/20/84 S 3: Ep 12 Gloria Comes Home (2) 2/28/82 S 3: Ep 11 Gloria Comes Home (1) 2/28/82 S 6: Ep 29 October 9, 1980 10/9/80 S 4: Ep 54 November 16, 1978 11/16/78 S 1: Ep 52 September 9, 1980 9/9/80 S 8: Ep 17 Film 79 Episode 17 11/5/79 S 27: Ep 1

 The Last Hurrah 11/16/77 S 16: Ep 51 Week of November 14, 1977 11/14/77 S 15: Ep 72 January 4, 1977 1/4/77 S 14: Ep 100 January 30, 1976 1/30/76 S 3: Ep 117 March 11, 1977 3/11/77 S 2: Ep 111 February 24, 1976 2/24/76 S 3: Ep 9 Finnegan's Flight 12/3/72 S 6: Ep 3 The Crimson Halo 10/1/72 S 5: Ep 17 Unreasonable Facsimile 1/6/72 S 1: Ep 12 Pipe Me A Loving Tune 12/8/71 S 3: Ep 10 Love and the Artful Codger 10/1/71 S 3: Ep

 1 KWWH 9/17/71 S 9: Ep 19 Flight from Memory 2/17/71 S 1: Ep 7 The Little Black Bag 12/23/70 S 3: Ep 9 All the Old Familar Faces 11/13/70 S 1: Ep 3 Power Play 11/1/70 S 2: Ep 227 July 17, 1970 7/17/70 S 5: Ep 16 Three Score and Ten 2/6/69 S 2: Ep 74 December 18, 1968 12/18/68 S 2: Ep 11 The Macabre Mr.

Micawber 11/28/68 S 7: Ep 3 The Orchard 10/2/68 S 2: Ep 25 Monkees Blow Their Minds 3/11/68 S 1: Ep 77 December 12, 1967 12/12/67 S 9: Ep 11 Six Black Horses 11/26/67 S 2: Ep 30 Headed for Doomsday 4/10/66 S 1: Ep 27 The Magnificent Muldoon 3/29/66 S 2: Ep 21 Back to the Drawing Board 2/7/66 S 1: Ep 13 Hunt the Man Down 12/11/65 S 1: Ep 13 No Justice For The Judge 12/10/65 S 1: Ep 1 Lazyfoot, Where Are You?

9/16/65 S 1: Ep 11 John Peter Altgeld 1/24/65 S 2: Ep 12 Who Killed 711? 12/9/64 S 1: Ep 18 The Square Peg 3/6/64 S 7: Ep 20 The Grover Allen Story 2/3/64 S 1: Ep 17 The Day Of The Wizard 1/12/64 S 1: Ep 15 Who Killed Jason Shaw? 1/3/64 S 1: Ep 6 Who Killed Alex Debbs?

10/25/63 S 6: Ep 5 5 (5) 10/18/63 S 6: Ep 4 5 (4) 10/11/63 S 6: Ep 3 5 (3) 10/4/63 S 6: Ep 2 5 (2) 9/27/63 S 6: Ep 1 5 (1) 9/20/63 S 4: Ep 1 Hold for Gloria Christmas 9/19/62 S 2: Ep 27 Waiting for Godot 4/3/61 S 2: Ep 3 On Stage with Music 11/6/59 S 2: Ep 244 August 17, 1959 8/17/59 S 6: Ep 26 The Unfamiliar 3/30/58 S 1: Ep 4 Hand in Glove 10/21/57 S 5: Ep 2 Haunted Harbor 9/25/57 S 5:

 Ep 24 The Amelia Earhart Story 3/17/57 S 5: Ep 11 The Christmas Tie 12/16/56 S 8: Ep 13 EPISODE #338 11/25/56 S 3: Ep 7 The Virtuous Island 11/28/54 S 3: Ep 6 Edison the Man 10/17/54 S 2: Ep 21 A Time Out of War 2/21/54 S 1: Ep 22 Grandma Moses 4/5/53 S 2: Ep 27 The Great Silence 2/20/53 S 2: Ep 34 Decision 4/14/52 S 1: Ep 10 Brief Moment 2/6/52 S 4: Ep 18 This Way to Heaven 12/24/51 S 3: Ep 41 The Martian Eyes (restaged) 6/4/51 S 3: Ep 11 I Am Still Alive 11/19/50 S 

3: Ep 10 The Martian Eyes 10/30/50 S 2: Ep 33 The Horse's Mouth 4/24/50 S 1: Ep 6 Our Town 4/17/50 S 1: Ep 5 Ride the Pink Horse 3/27/50 S 1: Ep 1 February 25, 1950 2/25/50 S 1: Ep 4 2/18/1950 2/18/50 S 2: Ep 17 February 5, 1950 2/17/50 S 2: Ep 18 1/17/1950 1/17/50 S 2: Ep 47 11/26/1949 11/26/49 S 1: Ep 1 L'Amour the Merrier 10/3/49 S 2: Ep 33 Marie Wilson/Burgess Meredith 8/16/49 S 1: Ep 8 One Sunday

 Afternoon 5/16/49 S 6: Ep 21 Lake Winahatchie 5/5/93 S 6: Ep 20 Even Nice People 4/28/93 S 1: Ep 16 Wall of Crystal 5/2/67 S 6: Ep 28 Incident at Deadhorse (2) 4/23/64 S 6: Ep 27 Incident at Deadhorse (1) 4/16/64 S 6: Ep 5 Incident at Paradise 10/24/63 S 4: Ep 9 Printer's Devil 2/28/63 S 4: Ep 9 The Little Fishes 11/24/61 S 2: Ep 8 Toine 11/22/53 S 2: Ep 10 The Jet Propelled Couch 11/14/57 Become a contributor Important: You must only upload images which you have created yourself or that you are expressly authorised or licensed to upload.

By clicking "Publish", you are confirming that the image fully complies with TV.com’s Terms of Use and that you own all rights to the image or have authorization to upload it. Please read the following before uploading Do not upload anything which you do not own or are fully licensed to upload. The images should not contain any sexually explicit content, race hatred material or other offensive symbols or images. Remember: Abuse of the TV.com image system may result in you being banned from uploading images or from the entire site – so, play nice and respect the rules! Choose background: The Penguin | Bat-Mania The Penguin Facebook Twitter Google+ WhatsApp The waddling bird of foul play. The Penguin was so popular that the producers always had a script ready for the Burgess in case he came to town. The Penguin usually likes to pretend he has gone straight to foil our heroes. Burgess Meredith Date of Birth & Location: 16 November 1907 (USA). Date of Death & Location: 9 September 1997 (USA). Burgess : “I did Batman for two reasons, one of which was salary. The other was that, after its first few episodes, Batman became the in-thing to do.

Everybody including Frank Sinatra would either play a villain or appear as himself in that cameo showcase where a celebrity would poke his head through the window of a building that Batman and Robin were climbing. I even remember Otto Preminger saying to me, “My god, My son won’t speak to me unless I get a job on Batman” Eventually, he got in ! Actually, we didn’t get as much money from the show as you might think, although we were paid decent money for the feature film version. The main impetus to continue appearing on Batman – beyond the desire to get some T.V. work – was that it was fashionable.” Trivia Developed his grunting “Penguin” laugh out of necessity. Meredith had given up smoking some twenty-odd years earlier, but his character was required to smoke with a cigarette holder. The smoke would get caught in his throat and he would start coughing. Rather than constantly ruin takes in this matter, he developed the laugh to cover it up. “Actually, it was a pretty funny noise for a penguin to make,” said Meredith. “I sounded more like a duck.” Needless to say, Meredith gave up smoking again immediately after the series ended. Was the second choice for role.

Producers had originally wanted Spencer Tracy in the role, but Tracy wouldn’t sign unless his character was allowed to kill Batman. Obviously, they did not want to kill the main character, so the role went to Meredith. He was so popular a villain in the TV-series the producers always had a “Penguin” script ready in case Meredith would like to appear as a guest star. Was offered the part of The Penguin’s father in Batman Returns (1992) (which eventually went to Paul Reubens), but couldn’t film it because of his delicate health. Lairs Penguin’s Perfect Security Agency Abandoned building on Gotham City’s waterfront Penguin Campain Headquarters Empty appartment next door to Barbara Gordon’s Penguin Bookshop (Fleece Street) Warehouse on the outskirts of Gotham Molls, thugs and accomplices Burgess Meredith - Hollywood Star Walk - Los Angeles Times Hollywood Star Walk Born Nov. 16, 1907 in Cleveland, Ohio Died Sept. 9, 1997 of Alzheimer's and melanoma in Malibu, CA Burgess Meredith displayed his versatile acting skills in a series of always refreshing but generally eccentric roles that kept him before cameras or on stage for more than 70 years.

Meredith, whose early credits included "Hamlet" and "Macbeth," found an entire new career late in life as a scheming villain on television and as Rocky Balboa's crusty manager in films. If the phrase "actor's actor" has any validity, Meredith was its prototype. He was known among his peers and to critics as one of the most adaptive thespians on stage or film set. His roles were as varied as the idealistic and protective migrant worker forced to kill his retarded cousin in "Of Mice and Men" and Shakespeare's stoic Hamlet, whom he played on national radio in 1937 in the infancy of his career. Later would come the Burgess Meredith who played Mickey, the aging boxing manager who fulfills the dream of his youth through the underdog fighter Rocky. Or the wily and fiendish Penguin, one of Batman's prime adversaries on the campy and highly popular 1960s TV series. Perhaps the television role that will linger longest with viewers was in an episode of "The Twilight Zone" in the early 1960s. In "Time Enough at Last," Meredith played a bank teller who preferred reading to the company of people.

One day he had retreated to the bank's vault to eat his lunch and read in peace when a nuclear attack killed everyone else in the world. After emerging from the vault and determining that he was the last of his species, Meredith's character briefly relished his opportunity to finally have the time for his beloved books. Then he tripped in the rubble that symbolized the end of civilization and broke his glasses. Meredith's credits sprawl across multiple pages in drama anthologies — as director, actor, writer and producer of plays as obscure as "The Green Cockatoo" and motion pictures as famous as "Rocky." In a single television season (1963) he portrayed a mad pacifist, a botanist whose specialty was man-eating plants, a father with incestuous tendencies and a diabolical brother who hated his sibling. He was nominated twice for an Academy Award (for "The Day of the Locust" in 1975 and for "Rocky" in 1976) but didn't win. He won an Emmy in 1977 for his portrayal of attorney Joseph Welch in "Tail Gunner Joe," a TV special about Sen.

Joseph McCarthy, and was nominated for a second Emmy for "The Last Hurrah." He won a special Tony Award for his 1960 staging of a "A Thurber Carnival." He also was nominated for another Tony for directing "Ulysses in Nighttown." The relatively sparse recognition became a personal joke, and he sent The Times a satirical fantasy in 1980 in which he presided over a company of what he called "non-awarded actors." Included were Greta Garbo, Rudolph Valentino, John Barrymore and Rin Tin Tin, all cast as worthy dramatic prophets without honor in their own Hollywood. In the years before his death at 89 in 1997, Meredith would say: "I disappear from the public eye and get rediscovered quite often." — Burt A. Folkart in the Los Angeles Times Sept. 11, 1997 Related Burgess Meredith Burgess Meredith was a versatile American actor and is best known for portraying Rocky Balboa's trainer Mickey Goldmill in the Rocky films and the Penguin in the television series Batman. Meredith was born in Cleveland, Ohio.

He was the youngest of three children of William George Meredith--a physician--and Ida Beth Burgess. In the late 1920s, Meredith drifted to New York, where he had numerous jobs including selling vacuum cleaners, clerking at Macy's, and working as a runner on Wall Street. He then made two trips to South America as an ordinary seaman on an ocean liner, after which he was fired for disobeying orders. Meredith attended Cathedral Choir School, Cleveland; Hoosac Falls Preparatory School, New York; Amherst College, Massachusetts. In 1933, he became a member of Eva Le Gallienne's theatre company in New York. He attracted favorable attention for playing George in a 1939 adaptation of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men and as war correspondent Ernie Pyle in The Story of G.I. Joe (1945). He was featured in many 1940s films, including three (Second Chorus (1940), Diary of a Chambermaid (1946) and On Our Merry Way (1948) ) co-starring then-wife Paulette Goddard.

Among later roles, he became known for playing The Penguin on the television series Batman. The Penguin's trademark quacking laugh was actually Meredith's attempt to cover up coughing fits, as his part required him to smoke, something he had not done in years. He admitted in an interview it sounded more like a duck than a penguin. [citation needed] Nevertheless, his role as the Penguin was so well-received that the show's writers always had a script featuring the Penguin ready whenever Meredith was available. He appeared on the show more times during its run than any other villain. Meredith served in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II, reaching the rank of captain. He transferred to the Office of War Information and was involved in making films for G.I.s.. As a result of the House Committee on Un-American Activities investigation into Communist influence in Hollywood, Meredith was placed on the Hollywood blacklist in the 1950s. Burgess Meredith was adept playing both dramatic and comedic roles, and appeared in four different starring roles in the acclaimed anthology TV series The Twilight Zone (only Jack Klugman had as many leading guest appearances).

In the famous "Time Enough at Last", a 1959 episode of The Twilight Zone, Meredith plays a henpecked bank teller who only wants to be left alone with his books. In the 1961 episode "Mr. Dingle, the Strong", Meredith plays the title character, a timid weakling who, as the subject of a space alien's experiment on human nature, suddenly acquires superhuman strength. In "Printer's Devil," Meredith portrayed the Devil himself, and in "The Obsolete Man" he portrayed a deeply religious man, sentenced to death in a future, dystopic totalitarian society. Meredith achieved iconic status for playing The Penguin in the television series Batman. In 1972 - 1973, Meredith played V.C.R. Cameron, director of "Probe Control," in the movie "Probe" and then in "Search," the subsequent TV series (the name was changed to avoid conflict with a program on PBS).

The series involved "World Securities Corporation," a private agency which, among other activities, fielded a number of detectives equipped with high-tech equipment including a tiny TV transmitter (the "Scanner") which allowed Probe Control to see what was going on where the agents were working. One episode centered around Cameron being kidnapped and having to escape from a torture chamber, without any of the tools carried by Probe agents. Meredith was a favorite of director Otto Preminger, who cast him in Advise and Consent (1962), In Harm's Way (1965), Hurry Sundown (1967), Skidoo (1968) and Such Good Friends (1971). He appeared in Ray Harryhausen's last stop-motion feature Clash of the Titans, in a supporting role. He also played Rocky Balboa's trainer, Mickey, in the first three Rocky films (1976), (1979) and (1982), to great acclaim. His character Mickey died in the third Rocky film but returned briefly for the fifth film Rocky V (1990) in flashbacks. Meredith also appeared in Santa Claus: The Movie (1985).

In his twilight years, he played Jack Lemmon's character's father in Grumpy Old Men (1993) and its sequel, Grumpier Old Men (1995). He was the Penguin in the original Batman Movie. As a nod to his longtime association with The Twilight Zone, he served as narrator for the 1983 film based on the series. He was Academy Award-nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category for his roles in The Day of the Locust (1975) and Rocky (1976). A somewhat more mixed (comedy/dramatic) role was his portrayal of the philosophical (yet hapless) tramp, Vladimir, in a notable production of Beckett's Waiting for Godot. Meredith also did voice over work mostly in the 1970's, supplying the voice over in TV commercials for Stokley Vegetables, United Airlines, and Freakies cereal; as well as supplying the narration for the 1974-1975 ABC Saturday morning series Korg: 70,000 B.C.

and supplying the voice of Puff in the 1978 animated TV special adaptation of the Peter, Paul, and Mary song Puff, The Magic Dragon. For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Meredith has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6904 Hollywood Blvd. Critic Wolcott Gibbs once hailed Meredith in The New Yorker as "brilliant, impressive, heartbreaking, vibrant and eloquent." Gibbs was, of course, talking of Meredith the stage performer. Sadly, there are only a handful of film roles that live up to that estimation. His autobiography So Far, So Good was published in 1994. Meredith died of Alzheimer's disease and melanoma in 1997. see also: Burgess Meredith | Rocky Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Burgess Meredith Veteran actor Burgess Meredith appeared as Mickey Goldmill in five of the Rocky films. Personal Information Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. Deathplace: Malibu, California, U.S.

Occupation: Actor, Film producer, Film director, Writer Also known for: His many film, stage and TV appearances, most notably as "The Penguin" on ABC-TV's Batman TV series Spouse(s): Helen Derby (1933–35) Margaret Perry (1936–38) Paulette Goddard (1944–49) Kaja Sundsten (1950–97; his death) Character information Character played: Mickey Goldmill in Rocky films 1-3 and cameos in IV and V Oliver Burgess Meredith (November 16, 1907 – September 9, 1997 [1] ),known professionally as Burgess Meredith, appeared as irascible, gruff Jewish boxing trainer Mickey Goldmill in the first three Rocky films. actor in theatre, film, and television], who also worked as a director. Active for more than six decades, Meredith has been called "a virtuosic actor "who was "one of the most accomplished actors of the century." [2] Meredith has been called "a virtuosic actor" [3] [4] Meredith won several Emmys and was nominated for Academy Awards.

[5] Contents Edit Meredith was born in Cleveland , Ohio , the son of Ida Beth (née Burgess) and Canadian-born William George Meredith, M.D. He graduated from Hoosac School in 1926 and then attended Amherst (OH) College as a member of the Class of 1931. Meredith served in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II reaching the rank of Captain (O-3). He was discharged in 1944 to work on the movie The Story of G.I. Joe, in which he starred as the popular war correspondent Ernie Pyle. [6] Career Burgess extensively worked in theater, film and TV. He is known for his roles as the Penguin in the 1960s Batman TV series and for his work in the Rocky films as Mickey Goldmill . Theatre Edit In 1933, he became a member of Eva Le Gallienne's Civic Repertory Theatre company in New York City. Although best known to the larger world audience for his film and television work, Meredith was an influential actor and director for the stage.

He made his Broadway theatre debut as Peter in Le Gallienne's production of Romeo and Juliet (1930) and became a star in Maxwell Anderson's Winterset (1935), which became his film debut the following year. His early life and theatre work were the subject of a The New Yorker profile. [7] He received acclaim playing in the 1935 revival of The Barretts of Wimpole Street starring Katharine Cornell. She subsequently cast him in several of her later productions. Other Broadway roles included Van van Dorn in High Tor (1937), Liliom in Liliom (1940), Christy Mahon in The Playboy of the Western World (1946), and Adolphus Cusins Major Barbara (1957). He created the role of Erie Smith in the English language premiere of Eugene O'Neill's Hughie at the Theater Royal in Bath, Somerset, England in 1963. He played Hamlet in avant-garde theatrical and radio productions of the play.

A distinguished theatre director, he won a Tony Award nomination for his 1974 Broadway theatre staging of Ulysses in Nighttown, a theatrical adaptation of the "Nighttown" section of James Joyce's Ulysses. Meredith also shared a Special Tony Award with James Thurber for their collaboration on A Thurber Carnival (1960). Films Edit Early in his career, Burgess attracted favorable attention, especially for playing George in a 1939 adaptation of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men and as war correspondent Ernie Pyle in The Story of G.I. Joe (1945). He then was featured in many 1940s films, including three -- Second Chorus (1940), Diary of a Chambermaid (1946) and On Our Merry Way (1948) -- co-starring then-wife Paulette Goddard. He also played alongside Lana Turner in Madame X. As a result of the House Committee on Un-American Activities investigation into Communist influence in Hollywood, Meredith was placed on the Hollywood blacklist, resulting in a seven-year drought of work.

Meredith was a favorite of director Otto Preminger, who cast him in Advise and Consent (1962), In Harm's Way (1965), Hurry Sundown (1967), Stay Away Joe (1968) as Elvis Presley's character's father, Skidoo (1968) and Such Good Friends (1971). He was the Penguin in the Batman movie of 1966 based on the popular ABC-TV series. Meredith played Rocky Balboa's trainer, Mickey Goldmill, in the first three Rocky films (1976, 1979 and 1982), to great acclaim. Even though his character died in the third Rocky film, he returned briefly in the fifth film, Rocky V (1990). He played an old Korean War veteran Captain J.G. Williams in The Last Chase with Lee Majors. He appeared in Ray Harryhausen's last stop-motion feature Clash of the Titans (1981), in a supporting role. He also appeared in the campy family film Santa Claus: The Movie (1985).

In his last years, he played Jack Lemmon's character's father in Grumpy Old Men (1993) and its sequel, Grumpier Old Men (1995). Burgess was nominated for Academy Awards in the Best Supporting Actor category for his roles in The Day of the Locust (1975) and Rocky (1976). Another notable role was as Goldie Hawn's landlord in Foul Play (1978) where he had a supporting role opposite comedian/actor Chevy Chase and acress Goldie Hawn. TV Edit Meredith appeared in four different starring roles in the acclaimed anthology TV series The Twilight Zone, tying him with Jack Klugman for the most appearances on the show. In the famous "Time Enough at Last", a 1959 episode of The Twilight Zone, Meredith plays a henpecked bank teller who only wants to be left alone with his books. In the 1961 episode "Mr. Dingle, the Strong", Meredith plays the title character, a timid weakling who, as the subject of a space alien's experiment on human nature, suddenly acquires superhuman strength.

In "Printer's Devil", Meredith portrayed the Devil himself, and in "The Obsolete Man" he portrayed a librarian, sentenced to death in a future, dystopic totalitarian society. He would later play two more roles in Rod Serling's other anthology series, Night Gallery. Meredith was the narrator for Twilight Zone: The Movie in 1983. He did not receive on-screen credit for his narration (this was so that he could do the job for scale rather than charge his usual minimum fee); as compensation for Meredith's uncredited work, his name was inserted into the dialogue in a scene between Dan Aykroyd and Albert Brooks. Burgess appeared in various television programs, including the role of Chris, III, in the 1962 episode "Hooray, Hooray, the Circus Is Coming to Town" of the NBC medical drama about psychiatry, The Eleventh Hour starring Wendell Corey and Jack Ging. He also guest starred in the ABC drama about psychiatry, Breaking Point in the 1963 episode titled "Heart of Marble, Body of Stone".

Meredith appeared in various western series too, such as Rawhide (four times), The Virginian (twice), Wagon Train, Branded, The Wild Wild West, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, Laredo and Daniel Boone. In 1963, he appeared as Vincent Marion in a five-part episode of the last season of the Warner Brothers ABC-TV detective series 77 Sunset Strip. He starred three times in Burke's Law (1963–1964), starring Gene Barry. Meredith also played The Penguin in the popular ABC-TV series Batman. His role as the Penguin was so well-received that the show's writers always had a script featuring the Penguin ready whenever Meredith was available. He and Cesar Romero's Joker are tied for number of appearances on the show. Autobiography and personal life Edit In 1994, Meredith published his autobiography, So Far, So Good. In the book he confessed that he suffered from violent mood swings which were caused by cyclothymis, a form of Bipolar disorder. Burgess was married four times, including to actresses Margaret Perry and Paulette Goddard.

His last marriage (to Kaja Sundsten) lasted 46 years, and produced two children, Jonathon (a musician) and Tala (a painter). References

Question: When Burgess Meredith was the special guest villain in Batman, which character did he play?
Answer: The Penguin